Improvement in seed-droppers



[84'] Sed Droppelj's.

N0. 119,325. VPatented Sep.y 26, 1871.

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` Seed Droppers.

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l To all whom it `may concern:

a: m of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the parts in each of thefigures.

of a corn-planter; and it consists, principally, in

with, and provided at its transverse center with UNITED TETES FIGE-LEWIS H. CONVERSE AND JAMES K. VVELTER, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS,

. ASSIGNORS TO LEWIS H. CONV ERSE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,325, datedSeptember 26, 1871.-'

Be it known thatwe, LEWIS H. CONVERSE and J AMES K. WELTER,ofSpringfield, in the county of 'Sangamon and in the-State .of Illinois,havey invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters; anddo hereby declare th at the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, vreference being had to the accompanying drawingmaking a part of this specification, in Which- Figure l is a' plan viewofthe upper side of a seed-box or hopper containing our improveddropping devices. Fig. 2 is a like view of the same, with thecovering-plate removed from over the dropper. Fig. 3 is a similar viewof said parts, with both covering-plate and dropperremoved. Fig. 4 is avertical central section upon the line.

lower side of said dropper. y

Letters of like name and kind' refer to like Our invention is animprovement in the construction and operatlon of the dropping device thepeculiar construction of the dropper and in the means employed 'forgiving to the same an intermittent rotary4 motion in one direction,sub-4 stantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified. Itconsists, further, in the means employed for arresting suddenly themotion of the dropper, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafterset forth. 4

In the annexed drawing, A represents a hopper or seed-box of usualconstruction, having secured to or upon its lower open side a metalplate, B

7 corresponding 1n size and general shape therea right-angled groove,which corresponds in transverse dimensions and shape to and receives ametal slide, C, the ends of which slide project horizontally outwardbeyond said hopper to a sufficient distance to enable said slide to havethe necessary longitudinal reciprocating movement within its groovewithout withdrawing said ends within said hopper. Resting upon andsecured to the plate B at its radial center is an annular metal ring, D,upon which in turn is placed a circular metal disk, E, which disk ispivoted upon a stud, F, that is secured to said plate B, and extendsvertically upward through a suitable slot in the slide C, with its upperend iiush with the upper surface of said disk. The opening within thering D corresponds in diameter to the width of the slide G, andpermitsthe downward passage of three studs, G, which are secured uponthe lower side of the disk E at equidistant points and in a line withthe inner edge of said ring. Secured upon the upper face of the slide Oat opposite sides ofthe slot c, and at equidistant points from and uponopposite sides of its center of vibration, are two lugs, H, each ofwhich has a slight curve from the outside of said slide toward thecenter stud F, said lugs being so arranged with reference to the studs Gas to cause each, when moved by said slide toward the center, to bearagainst one of said studs and move it forward so as to rotate the disk Eone-sixth of an entire revolution, or sufficiently to bring the adjacentstud into engagement with the opposite lu g when the latter is movedtoward the center by the return motion of said slide. As thus arrangedit will be seen that a reciprocating movement of the slide will becommunicated alternately through the curved lugs to the studs attachedto the disk, so as to give to the latter an intermittent rotary motionin one direction. At equidistant points around the outer side of thedisk E are provided six circular openings, c, having each a suitablesize to enable it to contain any desired charge of corn, while throughthe ring D and plate B is cut a similar opening, d, which corresponds inradial position to said openings c, so that when said disk is rotated bythe motion of the slide its openings will be alternately brought overand caused to coincide with said openings d. Resting upon suitablesupports immediately above the disk or dropper E is a covering-plate, I,which iills the space horizontally within the hopper, and is providedwith suitable openings K that correspond in width and radial position tothe openings c within said dropper, so as to give free access to thesame for any corn placed within said hopper. The central portion I- ofthe covering-plate being connected with the outer portion by means ofthree arms, i, one of said arms i is placed directly over the passage d,so asV to prevent corn from dropping directly through the same from thehopper. A metal spring, 7c, secured upon the lower side of the arm fi',and from thence extending forward with its end resting upon the surfaceof the dropper, serves as a scraper and removes any corn that mayproject above the openings Within the same.

It Will now be seen that if corn is supplied to the hopper and areciprocating motion imparted to the slide the dropper will be rotatedso as to cause each of its openings to iill with corn, and in turn passover the passage d and drop its contents into and through the latter.When operi ated quickly the Weight of the dropper is suflicient to causeit to revolve beyond the desired point, to guard against which threelugs, L, are secured to and extend outward from the periphery of thedropper E in such positions as to bring one ofthe same directly oppositethe transverse center of the slide at the precise instant that thecorresponding end of the latter has moved in- Ward to its furthestpoint, in which position said lug strikes against a stop, M, that issecured to and projects upward from the face of said slide, by whichmeans the forward motion of said dropper is instantly arrested, theshock given to the latter being sufficient to effectually loosen anycorn that may have become wedged within its cups or openings.

Although the number of openings shown is preferably employed in ourmachines, We do not conne ourselves to that or any especial number, asthe principle of operation would be the same Whatever the number ofopenings or proportion of parts.

It will be seen that by the use oi' this device each of the cups oropenings Within the dropper has five opportunities for becoming iilledbefore passing over the passage to the seed-tube, and

that, consequently, little or no possibility exists of'a failure of thesame to become iilled, and, further, that the shock caused by sosuddenly checking the motion of said dropper is suiiicient to loosen thecontents of said cups and cause the saine to Jfall to the ground,however firmly said contents might have become Xed therein.

In addition to the above advantages the several parts composing thedevice are so simple as to render no fitting up necessary other than toclean them from the sand of the molds and to drill the screw-holes.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of our invention, whatWe claim as new 1s l. The dropper E, suitably pivoted at its center andprovided with the openings e and studs G, in combination With the slideC provided with the lugs H, when said parts are so arranged as that alongitudinally-reciproeating movement of said slide shall cause saiddropper to rotate intermittently in one direction, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

2. In combination with the slide O and dropper E, arranged as'shown, thelugs L and stops M, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing We have hereunto set our handsthis 22d day of July,

LEWIS H. CONVERSE. JAMES K. WELT-ER. Witnesses:

Gno. S. PRINDLE, C. S. ZANE. (84)

